Process for treating durum or macaroni wheat.



- ducted as follows:

WALTER A. scour, or nnnurn, mun-users.

PROCESS FOR TREATING DUB-UM 0R'NBA(iJtLROIIfTI WHEAT.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Application feted May '6, I910. Saris-1N0. 559,515.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it known that l, WALTER A. Soowr, a? citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State'ofl Minnesota, have invented a new and use-f ful Process for Treating Durnm or Macaroni Wheat, of which the tollowi-ng is a" full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to a process of treating durum or macaroni 'wheat for milling? Duru-m wheat, sometimes known as macaroni wheat, as is well known, can be grown in climates in which, on account of deficient moisture, the ordinary spring wheat cannot be grown to advantage. Within the l past decade durum wheat has been grown to a considerable extent in the United States, particularly the northwestern parts thereof. Durum wheat has for many years been -eX-} tensively cultivated in some of the foreign countries. g It is the object of the present invention to improve the color, quality and breadmaking characteristics of d-uruni'wheat. i

The process of any invention may be con- Example 1: The wheat is first thoroughly washed to remove all dust, light seeds, and. all foreign material. The dirty water is: then separated as completely as possible from the Wheat by some of the well known: methods such as by passing the same over? wire screens or by means of the usual centrifugal machines. The clean, washed wheat j is then thoroughly wetted with water of 3,! temperature of about 100 to 110 degrees; Fahrenheit. The moisture should penile-- ate the interior of the berry. The wheat is then placed in jutesacks, the sacks being; placed in separated position,where it is! allowedto'remain for, from twenty-tour to thirty-six hours. A slight temporary rise in temperature may take place. The temperature at the end ofthis period varies: from S0 to 90 degrees according to the external temperature. The wheat is then:

, dried to about 12 percent. moisture. It is:

then tempered, being Wet-ted slightly with water at abeu-t 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and allowed to stand in bins tor some twelvel hours, during which time a rise in temperature may or may not take place, after which; it is dried, it necessary, and milled by the usual methods.

Example 2: The wheat washed as in Ex ample 1 is heated in a ki n to about 11 0 deprinkling with water .of about the same temperature, the wheat being spread for this purpose in thin (one-half inch) layers. The wheat is permeated with moisture throughout the interior of theberry. A slight cir- Patented Aug. 2e,1-91e.

grees Fahrenheit. It is then wetted by I Qulation of air is maintained in the kiln.

'tostand in the bin, to temper it as above described.

The two examples abpve described su'fli 'ciently set forth thefeatures of my process so that the same may be practised by the art. The process may be otherwise practised and istic of the process being the treatment which gives the necessary balance, above outlined, of the three factors, heat, air and moisture. In the first example the jute sacks, while allowing a slight circulation of air, still retain the major part of the heat and the moisture. The wheat is thus subjected to the influence oft-he three factors, heat, air and moisture.

layers permits ready access of the air, and the wetting, repeated from time totime, maintains the wheat in the thoroughly moist condition and during this period the Infthe second ex-- ample the spreading of the wheat in thin.

. by the utilization of any suitable machincry and apparatus, the important character- Wheat is subjected continuously to the action of heat. I

It is to be noted that the wheat should be permeated with "added'moisture substantially throughout the berry. Tests of the wheat show that the best results are ob Tests show that the best results are se-' cured with an initial temperature of 100' to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, although successful results can obtained by a somewhat higher temperature as well as'by a somewhat lower temperature. The airshou'ld have free access during the process, but it should not be in such quantity or of such low humidity as to materiallylower the V temperature or the moisture content of the berries below that above indicated if best results are to be secured. Thelperiod of time for the action of the moistlire,"'heat and air may be varied within reasonable limits by the propenbalance of the several factors. Care is to be taken that the period is'not :Pllifolonged to a stage where germination: or

objectionable moldiness occurs if best results are to be secured. Of course, the

period m ust not be so short that favorable 'results are sacrificed. The periods above mentioned in the specific examples will be found to give good results.

It is manifest thatthe process maybe practised in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, so long as the conditioning of the wheat is secured through the proper balance of the three factors, heat, air and moisture, throughout the period of treatment, in substantially the manner above setforth.

During the conditioning of the grain I find that the kernels change from a fiinty to a starchy condition. Tests indicate that the bran of the grain is rendered by the process tough and leathery, and the same is true of the walls of the cells which contain the starch granules and which are, distributed throughout the mass of the wheat kernel, as well as the cell walls of the germ. The rendering of the bran and the cellular walls tough and leathery, instead of. remaining dry and brittle, prevents these portions of the kernel from being ground into fine particles during the milling process, and in consequence these portions maybe readily removed by rolling, bolting, etc., in the usual process of milling.

My improved process, moreover, serves to induce oxidation and crystallization of the oil distributed throughout certain portions of the wheat kernel. The oil is thus lightened in color to improve the color of the flour. Tests show that the oil extracted from the wheat berry treated in-accordance with my process is much lighter in color than the oil extracted from the untreated berry on account of the partial crystallizat1on The iodin absorption number of the oil is decreased by my process, the average decrease of a large number of specimens being 10 per cent. The percentage of the free fatty acids is increased in value by 10 to 25 per cent. The viscosity of the oil is materially increased. The treatment by my process, moreover, renders the gluten ex-- tremely elastic, thus adding substantially to the bread-making quality of the flour.

The treated wheat may ately or may be stored as customary for subsequent milling. If stored for any length of time it may be desirable to retemper the wheat in the usual manner before milling.

I11 making flour-the treated wheat berry be milled immedi- "is ground andthe flour separated fromthe germ and"bran by the usual milling process. The star is light in color and equal to the best spring wheat flour. Tests show that the flour of durum wheat treated in accordance with my invention possesses substan tially as ideal bread-making qualities as the best spring wheat flour.

Durum wheat, as is well known, is considered inferior for bread-making purposes and sells upon. the market for substantially less than the best or standard spring wheat. By my invention I can improve the quality of durum wheat to suchan extent that it is the equal of the best or standard spring wheat, in bread-making quality.

The product resultin from my process is a durum wheat berry having the cellulosic components rendered tough and leathery, the oil partially oxidized'and crystallized and lightened in color, and the gluten rendered more elastic as described herein.

Having thus described my invention and the bestmanner now known to me of practising the same, I declare that I claim the following: j

1. The process of preparing wheat for milling Which consists in subjecting the wheat to moisture to permeate the berry substantially throughout and the action of heat and air.

2. The herein described process which consists in subjecting durum wheat, perineated throughout the berry with added moisture, to the action of air and heat, substan-.

tially as described.

3. The herein described process of treat- I ing durum wheat which consists in permeplied until the grain is permeated throughand subjecting the moistened and heated grain to the action of air, whereby, due to the action of the moisture, heat and air, the cellulosic components of the grain are rendered tough and leathery, the'oil partially oxidized and crystallized and lightened in color. and the gluten rendered more elastic.

5. The herein described product' which consists of a durum wheat berry having the cellulosic components thereof rendered tough and leathery, the oil partially oxidized and crystallized and lightened in color, the gluten rendered more elastic, and the interior of the berry starchy instead of flinty, thoroughly permeate the wheat berries and substantially as described. subjectm said wheat while heated and a 6. The process of preparing wheat for moistene to a current of heated air for sevmilling, comprising heating the wheat, suberal hours. v

5 jecting the same while heated to moisture In witness whereof, I have hereunto subfor a timesuificient to thoroughly permeate scribed my name in the presence of two witthe wheat berries, and then drying said nesses. wheat to an extent sufficient for milling. i WALTER A. SCOTT.

7. The" process of preparing wheat for Witnesses: 10 milling, comprising heating the wheat, sub- 7 META B. LANGE',

jecting the same to moisture while heated to DAVID D. STANSBURY. 

